Public observing session in Killarney

We held our first public observing session in Killarney tonight. We were due to kick off at 8.30. I loaded up the car with the dob and the 70mm skylux refractor. When I got to the site there was 100% cloud cover.

I reckoned, I'd be home in 20 mins. Soon enough a father and his two young kids arrived, along with some gaps in the clouds. Rather than set up the dob and wait for it to cool down, I pulled out the skylux and turned it on the moon. Lots of happy faces. A few more people arrived and another scope.

Eventually Saturn poked out through a gap in the clouds and I duly turned the skylux on it. What can I say, the kids, parents and all the adults were blown away.

One of the kids was even becoming a bit of an eyepiece hog. :lol: He could clearly see the rings and the gaps between them and Saturn.

It just goes to show, that there is (almost) as much pleasure in sharing the night sky in a 70mm refractor as there is in hunting down faint clusters and fuzzies in a larger scope.

Three Cheers for the Skylux please...

P.S. I was also asked for a recommendation for an "absolute beginners" book on astronomy and for the life of me, could not think of one. I mentioned, "turn left at Orion" but I never read it, and it may be a step above beginers. the only ones I could think of were "Philips Atlas of the Universe" and the collins gem guide called "stars" or the "night sky". Anyone have any other suggestions

well done trevor, it's great to see people getting out with there scopes and showing people the heavens the kids love it as do the moms &dads well done, i bet you were on a buzz all that night.

ps,
turn left at orion is a very good book to start with.

Hi trevor, well done on getting out there and getting kids involved in astronomy perhaps other clubs might take the initiative and get out as well it sounds like you had a good night keep up the good work :lol: :lol:
regards Darren